Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Thursday 19 May 1949, page 3


Natives For Film Herded Like Cattle

ADELAIDE, Thurs: Aborigines brought by the Commonwealth Railways from Ooldea to Quorn — about 450 miles — to be extras in the Ealing film Bitter Springs were "treated like cattle," according to Missionary H. Green.

Mr. Green said that when the train reached Ooldea it was found that two closed vans and an obsolete "dog box" carriage had been allotted the 115 abor-igines instead of the second class carriages expected. Nearly £300 in second class fares had been paid. There were no lights in the vans or the carriage and no sanitary conveniences. Twenty-five boys were crowded into one half of the "dog box," and 15 girls into the other half. Men and women, seve-ral with young babies, went into the van. When the aborigines reached Quorn, Mr. Green was in-formed that their camp at Warren Gorge, 14 miles out, was not ready. With rain falling heavily, there was only one place to put the natives— the refreshment room at the Quorn Oval. This is a draughty wood and iron structure measuring 30ft. by 50ft. Film production manager John Rix said that Ealing's ar-rangements when engaging the aborigines was for the re-sponsible government department to make all transport, reception, settling-in and supervisory arrangements. Interior Minister Johnson said in Canberra today that be-cause the aborigines were travelling in South Australia, even although on the Commonwealth railways, complaints were a matter for the South Australian Government.